The Heart of Capetown (Das Wunder von Kapstadt)

TV-Movie, 105 min, South Africa, Czech Republic, first run 12/17/2022, Das Erste/ORF
Premiere “30th Hamburg Film Fest”, official selection “Televisionen//FF2022”
Screening 4th of October 2022

“Hamburger Produzentenpreis für Deutsche TV-Produktionen” : Christian Popp

Story
In 1967, the world’s first human heart transplant was performed in South Africa. An operation that not only revolutionized the medical world. Inspired by this true incident, Sonja Gerhardt plays Lisa Scheel, a budding Frankfurt doctor who works hard to become one of the first women to succeed in male-dominated surgery. Nevertheless, Prof. Kohlfeld (Fritz Karl) prefers her to a male applicant. Deeply hurt, Lisa pursues her plan and travels to Cape Town to join Kohlfeld’s rival, Dr. Barnard (Alexander Scheer), who is also feverishly working on the first heart transplant. After an uphill battle, Lisa joins Barnard’s surgical team, where she experiences firsthand the injustice of apartheid. Together with Hamilton Naki (Loyiso MacDonald), who can only participate in the operation in secret due to his dark skin color, Lisa plays a major role in making the first heart transplant a breakthrough in medicine.

Cast
Sonja Gerhardt, Alexander Scheer, Fritz Karl, Loyiso MacDonald, Clara Wolfram, Thimo Meitner, Arnd Klawitter u.a.

Crew
Directed by: Franziska Buch
Written by: Christoph Silber
DOP: Bella Halben
Music: Martina Eisenreich
Producer: Christian Popp, Tobias Stille

“Hamburger Produzentenpreis für Deutsche TV-Produktionen” : Christian Popp
Winner of the selection „Televisionen//FF2022“ at 30. HAMBURGER FILMFEST

44th BIBERACH FFILM FESTIVAL 2022, Opening film

BANFF WORLD MEDIA FESTIVAL, Nomination “Rockie Awards 2023”, Category “Feature Length Film”.